Sanft, who just completed her freshman year at Durfee, took her soccer skills outside the area and returned to Fall River with a pair of national titles.

Sanft, 15, was the starting goalkeeper on both the US Club Soccer NPL National Championship team in Greensboro, N.C. as well as the USYS National Championship squad in Baltimore, Md. In Baltimore, she was also the golden glove recipient for the top goalkeeper in the U14 age group.

“Ali has grown and matured as both a player and a person in the past two seasons,” said Kerry Baldwin, the coach of both Sanft’s national championship teams. “She was an influential part of our teams’ success on the field as our starting goalkeeper.”

While taking part in her year-round soccer programs, she was contacted by both Tabor Academy and Worcester Academy about playing soccer for them this fall.

“They approached her after a club team game,” said Bob Sanft, Ali’s father. “It was a tough decision for her because she wanted to play for Durfee, but she just fell in love with Worcester Academy.”

“They said I wasn’t seasoned enough at Durfee,” Ali Sanft said. “I really liked Worcester Academy. I felt like I fit in there. I’m very excited to go there.”

Sanft will be packing up her things and moving out Labor Day Weekend.

A two-sport standout, Sanft said she will also be playing softball in Worcester. She said she was unable to play at Durfee due to her in-season commitment to soccer, her favorite of the two sports.

“I prefer soccer,” she said. “I’ve been playing since I was about 6.”

Bob Sanft credits Fall River’s youth programs for helping his daughter get to where she is today.

“She played in community development programs just to learn the game,” her father said. “She went to play for Fall River Youth Soccer where she learned about goalkeeping and she fell in love with the position. She went on to play at Morton Middle School.

“I grew up in Fall River and I know that when you get to other parts of the state, you really have to fight and scratch your way to make it,” Bob Sanft said. “Fall River has some really good youth programs that helped her along the way.”

Mike Thomas is the sports editor of The Herald News. Email him at mthomas@heraldnews.com